Impulse-starter.



A. G. KARKAU.

IMPULSE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. ms.

1,264,086. Patented Apr. 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT curios.

ALBERT. e.

KARKAU, or CLEVELAND, cnro, assr nyrruLsn-s'ran'rnni To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. KARKA a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland,-in the county of Cuyahoga and State otOhio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Impulse-Starters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

I This invention relates to what may. be termed an impulse starting mechanism for use in connection with aflmagneto, as a part Y of the ignition systemfor a fluid fuel en gine. Through the instrumentality of this mechanism, when the engine is turned over in the ordinary manner, the magneto shaft will be compelledv to giveone or more accelerated rotations that will result in the production of a series of sparks in'the engine cylinders, and when this has been accomplished and the engine started, the start ing mechanism will be rendered ineffective and after that the magneto will run regularly in its proper and predetermined relationship with respect to the engine. r

The object of the invention is to produce a device as above mentioned, in which the- 1 yarious instrumentalities are of simple form and so arranged as to efficiently operate.

Generally speaking, the invention may he said to comprise the elements and c6mbinations thereof set forth in the accompanying claims. I

Reference should be had-to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 ma front elevation, with parts in section, of a portion of a magneto showing the device of this invention in connection therewith; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of certain parts of the pp eratlng mechanism of the device of this 1nvention; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the showing in Fig. 2; and Fig. ,4 is a sectional elevation. of the showing. in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the end plate of the housing of the magneto, and in this end plate there is mounted a-suitahle bearing member 2 in which is journaled the shaft 3, upon which shaft is mounted the'armature of the magneto. Secured to the shaft is a hub 4 havinga disk 5 formed integral therewith or secured thereto. Surrounding the hub 4 is a driving member 6. This member is provided with a portion which fits upon the hub 4L pawl 29. This pawl is pivotally mounted but is not secured thereto, and is formed Specification 01 Letters Patent. t tm, 19 3, Application fi ee iarch 15, 1916. Serial in. 84,288.

withan annular recess, as indicated at 7.

GNOR TO THE K. W. IGNITION COM- I PANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIG, A CORPOBATIOH 03: OHIO.

The inner end of the recessed portion is open and the inner portion of the driving member s 6 is close to the disk 5. Within the recessed portion 7 there is a coil spring generally represented at 8 which spring is substantially annular and at one end abuts against a pin 9 Which pin is carried by the driving member 6. This pin 9 extends through the driving member 6 and across the recessed portion 7 of the driving member 6. At its opposite end the spring 8 abuts against a pin 10, which pin extends across the recessed portion 7 and is carried by the disk 5. The pins 9 and 10 are spaced from each other and between thepins there is a coil spring '11. i

Upon the periphery of the disk 5 there are one or more notches, such as indicated at 12, these notches being formed with a Slitl'ltil'lfi bottom surface and a substantially flat wall slightly undercut. i

Upon the outer surface of the driving member 6 there are formed projections or strikenmemhers 13, these projections having slanting sides, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 3. o'

pen the endjplate 1 of the magneto casing there are outwardly extending parts 15 which are adapted to support the opposite ends of a bracket- 16; Q This bracket has an upwardly extending portion 17 with a forwardly extending ledgelS. The ledge 18 supports a housing 19 in which is a plunger 20. This plunger 20 has a head '21, which extends within an enlarged portion 22 of the housing 19. The plunger is hollow and within the'plunger there is a spring 23 which at its upper end engages with the top of the housing 19. The housing 19 is threaded through a suitable opening in the forwardly extending ledge 18 so that it may be adjusted with respect to this ledge.

Suitably pivoted upon one of the posts 15 is a latch 24. This latch has an arm 25 by which the latch may be moved under certain conditions which will be later described. The top of the latch is provided with a table-like portion 26' and with this table portion the plunger 20 is adapted to con tact. The latch 24 is provided with a nose 27 which is more or less pointed and is adapted to engage with a recessed part 28 formed by an extending portion 28 of a upon the other post 15 and is so mounted that its weight tends to cause it to drop downwardly. The latch 24 overlies the pawl 29 and the movement of the pawl raises 6 the latch and when it raises it sufficiently the nose of the latch catches the recessed portion 28 of pawl 29. The pawl 29 is provided with a toe 30 which in one position is adapted to engage with the periphery of the disk and as this disk turns it engages with a notch 12, and thus stops rotation of shaft 3. The pawl extends beyond the ed e of the disk 5 which is toward the mem er 6 and therefore is in the path of movement of the striker members carried by the memher 6.

The operation of the device is as follows: The engine is assumed to be not running, and the pawl in the position shown in Fig. l, the arm 25 of the latch 24 is de ressed, thereby raising the latch'24 until t e nose is moved out of the recessed portion 28 of the pawl 29, thus permitting the pawl 29 to drop and-engage with the periphery of the disk 5, as shown in Fig. 2.

The engine is turned over as usual, whereupon the member 6, which will be suitably connected with the crank shaft of the engine in connection with which the magneto is used, is caused to turnand the disk 5 will likewise be caused to turn, as the spring 8 forms a driving connection between the' member 6 and the disk 5. The members 5 and 6 will turn together until the pawl 29 engages with one of the notches 12 which will prevent further turning of the disk 5, but the member 6 will continue to turn. Under these circumstances as the driving member 6 is further turne it will cause a compression of the spring 8, for the pin 10 forms a fixed stop and when .the driving member 6 has sufiiciently turned so that one of the striker members 13 engages with the pawl 29, it will knock the pawl out of engagement with the particular notch 12 of the disk 5 with which it has been in engagement, and the disk 5 thus being free to turn will be driven forward very quickly under the expanding action of the spring 8. This will cause a rapid turning of thema eto shaft 3 and cause a rapid series of spar s in the engine cylinder and thus effect an easy starting. The spring 11 which lies 'between the pins 9 and 10, serves as a buffer when the disk 5 is released and the pins 9 and 10 approach each other.

If the turning action of the member 6 has been suliiciently rapid so as to impart a stiff blow to the pawl 29, it will throw the pawl 29 sulliciently far outwardly so that the nose of the latch 24 will be moved beyond the recessed portion 28 of the pawl 29 and the pawl 29 will be stopped by the. engagement of the nose of the latch as it enga es in re- 85 cess 26, as the pawl drops back, t us holding thepawl out of further engagement with the notches 12 in a disk 5.,

If the blow imparted to the pawl 29 b one of the cam portions 13 has not been su ciently hard to throw the pawl far. enough outwardly for the latch 24 to engage with the pawl, the pawl 29 will be in position to engage with a succeeding notch 12 upon the disk 5, and the o eration which has previously been des'cri ed will be repeated, thus producing a further'succession of sparks in the engine cylinder or cylinders. Of course, it will be understood that as soon as the engine has started the rotation of the driving member 6 will be sufficiently rapid to impart the necessary blow to the pawl 29 to cause the latch 24 to engage it. Therefore, under normal runnin conditions of the engine the pawl 29 will be held by the latch 24.

The housing 19 is adjustable with respect 85 to the ledge 18 and by adjustment the pres- I sure of plunger 20 upon the latch 24 may be varied, thereby affording a means of. regulation for determining the engine s eed at' which the pawl 29 will be struck su ciently to lift the latch 24 and cause it to engage.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with an armature shaft of a magneto, a drivingmember therefor, a resilient member fornii'pga driving connection between said shaft and driving member, a stop means for said shaft including a pivoted pawl, means"- operated by the driving member for engaging the pawl and disconnecting the sto means from engagement, a latch opposite y pivoted with respect to the pawl and extending toward the pawl, said latch having a portion adapted to engage with the pawl when the stop means is thrown out, of engagement.

2. The combination with an armature shaft of a magneto, a driving member therefor, a resilient member forming a driving connection between the said sha t and driving member, a locking device for said shaft comprising a pivoted pawl adapted to enage in a notch, a member carried by the driving member ada ted to engage the pawl and throw it out 0 engagement with said notch, a latch oppositely pivoted with re- 116 spect to the pawl, said latch extending toward the awl and adapted to engage with a recessed portion of the pawl when the pawl is thrown out sufficiently far, and means for normally pressing the latch into I a position to engage with t NM 3. The combination with an armature shaft of a magneto, a driving member therefor, a resilient member formingt adrivrngf connection between the said she and driv- 126 ing -member, said driving member being formed with a notch, a pawl pivoted adjacent the driving membensaid pawl ex-- tending above the driving member and I adapted to engage with the said notch, a ll e pawl. i

mes -so member carried by the! driving member adapted to engage the pawl and throw it out.

tending above the pawl, the pawl being formed with a recess and the latch being formed with a nose which isadapted to engage with the recess in the latch when the latch is thrown out sufiiciently far, and means for normally pressing the latch into a position to engage with the pawl.

4. The combination with an armature shaft of a magneto, a driving member theref r,a coil spring interposed between the shaftand saiddriving member, said coil spring being in compressing relation with respect to the shaft and driving member to form a driving connection between the same, a lockingdevice for said shaft, means operated by the driving member for throwing the locking device out of ehgagement, and a latch extending over said. locking device,

I said latch being adapted to engage with the inent.

locking device for holdingthe same when the locking device 1S thrown out ofengage- 5. The combination with an. armature shaft of a magneto, a driving member there for, a stop member carried by thedriving member and a stop member associated with the shaft, a resihent member lying between the said stop m8mb6lS,'S 11d resilient member being compressed as the driving member drives the armature shaft, thereby forming a driving connection, a locking device for said shaft, means operated by the driving member for throwing the locking means out of engagement, and a latch extending over the said locking device, said latch being provided with a nose adapted to engage a recessed portion in the locking device when the locking device is thrown out of engagement.

6. The' combination with an armature shaft of a magneto, a driving member therefor, a stop member carried by the driving member, and a stop member associated with the shaft, a coil spring lying between said members, the ends of said coil spring engaging with the said stop members whereby the coil spring will be compressed as the driving member is driven, the said coil spring forming a driving connection between the shaft and driving member, a locking device for saidshaft, means operated by the driving. member for'throwing the locking means out of engagement, and a latch extending over said locking device, said latch being provided with anose adapted toengage a recessed portion in the locking device when the locking device is thrown out of engagement.

7. In combination with the shaft. of a magneto, a driving member therefor, a resilient member forming a driving connectiqn between the said shaft and the driving engage beneath the extending portion when the pawl is thrown outwardly by the striker member, the said latch being provided with; a ledge, a springpressed plunger adapted to engage with the ledge, thereby normally urging the latch toward the pawl. h

'8. The combination with magneto shaft of a driven member, a resilent member form ing a driving connection between the shaft and driving member, a notched disk asso ciated with the shaft, astriker membe as sociated with the driving member, a pivoted pawl member adapted to engage with the periphery of tne notched disk, a pawl member eXtcnding beyond the side of the disk and the path of movement of the striker member, said. pawl having a portion extending therefrom, a pivoted latch member having a nose adapted to engage beneath the extending portion upon the pawl when the pawl is thrown outwardly by the striker member, a bracket supported from the magneto, a spring-pressed plunger adjustably carried upon said bracket, said plunger engaging with a portion of the latch member to normally urge the latch member toward the pawl. v

9. The combination with an armature shaft of a magneto, of adriving member, a resilient means operatively connecting the shaft to the driving member, a stop device for said shaft comprising a notched member associated with the shaft, a pivoted pawl having a toe the pawl extending in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of. the armature shaft, said pawl also having a recessed portion, a pivoted latch said latch having a. nose which extends toward the pawl the nose of said latch being adapted to engage in the recessed portion of the pawl when the pawl is thrown out sufficiently far, and means carried by the driving-member adapted to engage the pawl and throw it out of engagement with the notched member.

10. In a magneto driving device, a magneto shaft, a driving member therefor, an 5 annular chamber surrounding the shaft, stop 125 members extending into the chamber and carried respectively by the shaft and driving member, a coil spring extending through the major portion of said annular chamber and engaging the stop members and adapted to be compressed by the movement of the driving member relative to the shaft, relatively short coiled buffer springs between the stop members and occupying the remainder of the chamber not occupied by the first named spring, a locking device for said shaft, means operated by the driving member for throwing the. locking device outof engagement, and a latch cooperating with the locking device said latch being adapted to engage with the locking device for holding the same when the locking device is thrown out of engagement.

11. In a magneto driving device, a magneto shaft, a driving member therefor, an annular chamber surrounding the shaft, stop members extending into the chamber and carried respectively by the shaft and driving member, a coil spring extending through the major portion of said annular chamber and engaging the stop members and adapted to be compressed by the movement of the driving member relative to the shaft, relatively short coiled buffer springs between the stop members and occupying the remainder of the chamber not occupied by the first named spring, a locking device for said shaft, means operated by the driving member for throwing the locking device out of engagement, and a latch extending over said locking device said latch being adapted to engage with the locking device for holding the samewhen the locking device is thrown out of engagement.

12. In a magneto driving device, a magneto shaft, a driving member therefor, an annular chamber surrounding the shaft, stop members extending into the chamber and carried respectively by the shaft and driving member, a coil spring extending through the major portion of said annular chamber and engaging the stop members and adapted to be compressed by the movement of the driving member relative to the shaft, relatively short coiled buffer springs between the stop members and occupying the remainder of the chamber not occupied by the first named spring, a stop means for said shaft including a pivoted pawl, means operated by the driving member for engaging the pawl and disengaging the stop means from engagement, a latch oppositely pivoted with respect to the pawl and extending toward the pawl said pawl having a portion adapted to engage with the latch when the stop means are out of engagement.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

ALBERT G. KARKAU.

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